The very first spring I lived here I had a problem with Bumble Bees. For some weird reason anytime I step outside they have to hit me on the head. Most people think I’m crazy. Now that may bee.. 🙂
All I can say is it is a very weird thing to watch. Most people can’t stop laughing when they see it. I really want to file a grievance with the Bee community!
I haven’t been headbutted, yet, this year. I will let you know when it happens…
This picture was taken this Monday afternoon. Can you see what, or who is sitting in the corner of the outside window?
I had walked away, then turned and took another picture. Can you see he moved to the opposite side of the window?
Here is a close up of Sano…
Here is a close up of who was sitting the window. Yes, I know! This window need painting. I need a hard hat!
The past couple of weeks we went from freezing your butt off, to help me I’m melting usually, all in one day.
Sunday morning, when I stepped outside I was surprised by the warm air and hazy grey skies heavy with moisture. Saturday night the weatherman had announced. “It would be cold in the morning and a warm-up was coming in the early afternoon.” I was glad he got it wrong. It was gorgeous!
It was only eight o’clock in the morning. The warm air and a barrage of happy birds flitting from tree to tree helped Uriah talk me into taking a walk out back.
The path had drained off, but that downed tree still lay across my path. I followed Uriah as he walked around it and closer towards the fence.
Along the northern side of the path, the older Blog Willows grew, with their dark brown tangled tops reached upward. Maybe in few days, when I can take the tractor out, I will be able to push that tree out of the way… Even as that thought skimmed by, I knew from experience, that once the ground was able to hold the weight of the tractor, those roots will be stuck in the ground like cement.
I carefully stepped over the exposed roots and tangled dried grass that held a death grip on the base of the tree. I could see a hole underneath exposing roots and rich black dirt. Pieces of moss clung to the roots.
I mumbled out loud. “There may be an animal’s den in that hole!”
I watched as Uriah stuck his nose close to the hole then stepped back quickly. Using his normal ten second thought process, he caught a different scent and raced ahead of me. I glanced back at the tree and promptly followed Uriah’s lead.
By the time I caught up to Uriah. He was circling an evergreen. The fur on his back was straight up. He was kicking dirt out behind him as he scrapped at the ground. From the corner of my eye I saw something move across the empty field. I couldn’t make out what it was, possibly a deer. The large animal disappeared quickly into a grove of Oak trees. Uriah made a move to chase, but first he looked at me. Now it’s not like Uriah to listen, or ask permission. He knew he would be in trouble if he chased after the animal. Most days he didn’t care. Today, he hesitated. Hmmm! Uriah knew that whatever that was would hurt him and he just wanted me to tell him no. Which I did! Saving face, Uriah happily pranced back to my side.
By the time I circled the path I was heading west and home. Uriah took off in the trees to my right. He never got out of my sight. He even stopped and waited while I watched a flock of starlings in the trees above me. They fanned out then regrouped in a wave of wings and chattering. As soon as they settled in the tops of the trees one bird would rise up and the rest followed in a massive flow of feathers. Red Winged Blackbirds, Robins, Doves, Sparrows, Cardinals, sang around and above me. The noise level was incredibly loud.
The trees that hadn’t budded last week were budding green this week. The grass was growing at odd heights. I sidestepped a fairy circle and headed to the dog kennel.
Uriah panted as he ran up. He stepped into the kennel for water and a mouth full of his kibble. Which I was glad to see wasn’t touched by the birds, or that rat.
Suddenly! Everything fell silent! I checked the skies for signs of the Hawk. I couldn’t hear the Hawk’s high pitch screech. I was positive a predator had to be nearby! All the birds stopped talking… Just as quickly, they started up again. The bird’s voices rose once more to a manic pitch and the wave of sound rolled over me.
I watched as Uriah crunched his biscuits. He nosed around in the grass for every last morsel. My stomach growled! Time for my own breakfast …
I wanted you guys to see; Kenshin and Sano are hot on case of, “The Mice in the Garage!” Will they catch them, or not stay tune!Did you see where that mouse went?
The past few days the weather has been up and down, sideways and in circles.
Last night we had pouring rain, thunder and dangerous lightening. During the first part of that storm I was outside, walking as close to the house as I could get, while I tried to encourage Uriah to do his business in a hurry. Nothing hurries Uriah. I stood back and watched the dark sky light up emphasizing the jagged edges of the high Cumulonimbus clouds. A rolling rumble vibrated underneath my feet and still Uriah sniffed at the edge of the Blue Spruce, unperturbed. It was only when I told him to get in the house that he started to whine. He hates thunderstorms, but Uriah’s idea of safety during a storm is to stand out in the open and stare up into the electrified sky.
On Sunday, when the path was still a path, severe winds blew over a tree. Fortunately I wasn’t out there when it happened. I never made it though the back yard, even attempting to make my way to the back path was impossible. The winds were irritatingly loud! I couldn’t see past my hair, no matter how hard I tried, and at one point I thought I saw Miss Gulch pedaling over head, followed closely by that Pheasant, and That Rat. With each step I fought to move forward. I could have tied a rope to Uriah and flew him like a kite. Alright, a fat, pudgy unhappy kite…
Today the path is underwater and the air is so heavy I was feeling out of sorts, dizzy, sneezing, and hard to breathe I am moving very, very slow. On the bright side the toads are croaking loudly and the mosquitoes are out and biting. Hmmm!
Back to the tree! In order for me to remove that tree I will need to use the tractor, and ‘she’ is still asleep covered in blankets in the barn.
I stood back and paced out the distance from the beginning of the path to the downed tree, sixty steps. Not good! Last year we had a tree fall over and it was only a fraction of the distance, and a forth the size. Taking the tractor in that area would set me up for disaster with all that soft wet mud under the large wheels. If I stood in the mud I would sink in. If I add a tractor with spinning wheels and an idiot driving (me) … Well, the tractor will sink deep in the mud, and at that point I will need to call someone in to pull it out.
Still I stood there and thought about it…
If I used the tractor I will need a very long chain that I can connect to the tree, and the tractor. All the while crossing my fingers, that both will hold on the first attempt. They never do! One side or both will slip off and have to be reconnected, while I’m left standing in the thick black, oozing mud.
I considered leaving the tree and cutting a path around it..hmmm! I have a chain saw, sort of. Michael hid it somewhere, so that idea might not work.
Today isn’t the day to work out the technicalities, too much water and a lack of diesel, and a hidden chainsaw.
Last resort… Woodpeckers! Eventually they would pound holes in that tree allowing it to fall apart. I’m voting for the birds.
When I took these pictures, I had to keep telling Sano, “don’t touch!” As soon as I put away the camera he knocked over the vase and started playing.The vase is on the floor because no one would stay away from it as it sat on the table. Safer on the floor! Poem for Jingles Thursday’s poet Rally:-)
Yesterday and this morning I took my walk looking up. The trees are just starting to bud. And the flowers are just beginning to show their colors.
The ground is littered with dried left over leaves, brittle and grayish brown, crunching under foot. Even as the grass makes an attempt to turn green, as the moss pulls on its most brilliant lime green coat of the season. The main show is taking place above ground; branches are turning colors as spring moves through them. Don’t miss the show!
“In the spring I have counted one hundred and thirty-six different kinds of weather inside of four and twenty hours.” ~Mark Twain
Within the past two hours, I have seen heavy fog, thick dark grey clouds, and a bright blue sky, that shifted to a pale whitish-blue.
A bellowing cloud of smoke passed through my house as the farmer burned off the dried grass around the creek bed. The thick heavy smoke made it a little uncomfortable to breathe. So Uriah and I headed off to the mail box and I took pictures of the blooming, Pussy Willow as Uriah disappeared to wade in the pond.
Uriah came back out of the cold pond and pulled his fat tummy across the grass, this is his way of toweling himself off…
The sun rose slowly, over a humid, cool and very clear moment. The air was still. I watched as two dozen Robins pacing out the yard. I was an interloper into their world, for this moment, they let me stay.
I gripped my hot coffee cup, held it close and stared out over the empty field. The sun was hidden behind the clouds that sat on the horizon, I looked up the sky was shifting to a sleepy blue above me, without a slip of a cloud.
This time of day holds loosely to a cool silence. Where nature is kind and allows us to wake up slowly as nocturnal animals drift off to sleep.
I use to walk out in this quiet, barefoot. I would step easily around and over rocks and spiders. It is the spiders that are awake; they weave and repair their webs all night catching insects unawares in the darkness. Now those webs shimmer with icy dewdrops and I stay on the deck.
Yesterday I opened my curtains to a heavy snow storm. I stood at the window for a second, then turned away to make a cup of coffee. When I came back the hallucination was still out there.
The day before it was in the middle sixties, warm sunshine, trees budding, birds singing out ,”Spring! Spring!”
This was a big surprise; I knew the temperatures were dropping. When I took Uriah out for his nightly walk I had felt the cold air moving in. But I didn’t expect this! Three to four inches of snow on the deck and a beautiful holiday scene cascaded down in front of me.
I needed another cup of coffee.
Uriah ran outside happy. Very happy! He loves the snow. I pulled on my boots and zipped up my coat. Grumbling, I grabbed my knit hat, shoved it on my head and walked outside.
The snow was perfect for snowmen, snow angels and snowball fights. None I planned on making or getting into.
The birds were silent in the heavy snowfall. The water on the path had drained off. With the coating of snow, my boots never touched the mud.
Directly in front of me a mole popped out of the snow. He was very surprised to see me; even more so when Uriah grabbed him and tossed him up like a squeaky toy. Ouch! Quickly, Uriah stepped back afraid that the mole was going to bite. The mole never got back up…
Today- the sun came out and started melting the snow on the deck. Water poured into the outside dog kennel. Uriah sat out in the yard in the sun and watched the snow disappear over the chipmunk holes.
I shuffled over to the garden and pointed at the large hole next to the dog kennel. “Stare at this hole!” I poked the soft dirt with my ski pole. “And when he comes out, toss him up in the air!”
Uriah glanced at the rat hole. With a heavy sigh he walked back to the chipmunk hole and sat down and waited.
This morning was gorgeous, humid, but a beautiful day. Every bird bellowed out a tune. The rains had stopped for now and I could see clouds moving in from the west, not the heavy menacing dark clouds, just a soft grey over cast type, the ones that will defuse the bright sunshine and hold in warm air.
I walked over to the path, hoping to be able to take a longer walk. I had my camera out I took some pictures of moss, melting snow and water. I was able to get a lot of pictures of water. The path was overflowing. I could see the line of water running through the neighboring fields.
I headed back to the house.
All three of my male cats were sitting by the kitchen door. The screen was keeping them inside, as they sat and stared out at me in my bright orange coat.
I have small red garden shed that had seen better days. The roof is leaking and with the past few years of flood waters pouring though it, the walls are rotting. I moved the square paver stone that held the door closed and I pulled the door open. A rush of rodent odor over powered me, and I stepped back and took a deep breath, then went in looking for a rake. I untangled the old red rake from the garden hose and quickly shut the door and pushed the rock back into place.
Uriah followed me as I scraped around the flower beds that bordered the front of the house. Three sections set in-between each five foot evergreen bush.
I had cleared a lot of the leaves out in fall, so I only had a sprinkling of dried leaves from the Tiger Lily’s and Catnip. As I cut away last years died leaves from the Lily of the Valley, I was surprised it hadn’t disengrated into the soil.
Uriah always helpful laid in the flower bed right on what I was clearing off. He wanted a biscuit from my pocket. I know! I was training him to be in the way, because every time I told him to move I would toss his milk bone over my shoulder. I quickly ran out of treats, at that point he fell asleep and I worked around him.
From between the soil and rocks tiny black spiders poured out over my hands, as a large black ant raced away from me. I was near the old bird bath, the top section sits right on the ground, I have to remember to bring out a pan of warm water and rinse it out. Right now it has dark water from the leaves that sat in it all winter. A black toad, the size of my hand slowly pulled himself out of my pile of grass and leaves, and lumbered back into the garden to the bird bath…
This window need painting. I need a hard hat!
